Mosquito Repellent for Everybody

You Really Need One – A Mosquito Repellent

You will come to realize just why this is so, and the reason why you need to keep them as far away from you as you possibly can.

There is more to it than just a bite, and the itching that follows, which is rather scary.

I heard it from a distance, a faint buzzing noise of changing pitch, which seemed to be getting closer and closer…and closer still.

I was not enjoying that sound at all, for it meant that a flying creature of the undesirable kind was in the vicinity, keeping me company. It was surely the type of company that I could nicely do without, especially while I was slowly drifting away into slumber.

It wasn’t the flying bloodsucker itself that was on my mind, or the drop of red essence going through my veins that I was about to lose to it. Surely, out of all the red liquid that runs through my entire being, ending up with a drop less wasn’t going to have any significant effect.

What was on my mind once this type of encounter takes place, once a drop of blood becomes food, was the incredible itching that surely would ensue. I would have gladly donated a whole pint of my precious blood, more than enough to feed an entire colony of such beasts, in return for one good night’s rest…a luxury that was recently evading me.

Honing my ears in an attempt to get a bearing on this flying insect was proving to be slightly worse than futile.

Mosquito on skin

Mental images of a night-time aerial attack by invading enemy forces, while the defending ground crews hurriedly mustered their equipment, their guns of war, before becoming victims of such a deadly assault from the dark above, entered my drifting mind. I wasn’t armed and didn’t have any equipment to deal with such a dilemma.

The only option left was to try and take cover as best as I could, with the hope that the aircraft would alter its course, and tune in to another target somewhere else, leaving me alone to carry on with my journey into the Land of Nod.

The heat and carbon dioxide sensors built into this tiny airborne beast are of the highly advanced nature, and avoiding detection wasn’t going to be an easy feat, by far.

For a moment I laughed at myself for the situation I was in. How can something so small present such a threat to something so large in comparison? I stopped feeling humiliated when I remembered the effect a tiny harmless mouse has on a huge trunked mammal.

My leg was somewhat exposed, but with one swift motion, this was once more under the sanctuary of the covers, depriving one less item on the bloodsucker’s menu. It felt safe somehow just leaving my nose exposed.

More mental images came to mind. This time of ships struck by a great storm out at sea, and the only guidance, the only assistance these had to help direct them to safety, came in the form of a light shining brightly from a beacon.

Was my nose acting like such a beacon and instead of directing ships to safety, it was directing the airborne armada to its destination?

Mosquito Squadron

Did the flying creature miss me this time? Did it ignore my beacon? Did it hone in on another target somewhere else? Were my tactics working? Or was it lying in wait, expecting reinforcements to arrive, and at the ready to dive down on me with all guns blazing when the moment was right?

There was no way of knowing, so I just waited patiently and listened.

Silence reigned once again.

I heard my stomach rumble. I felt hungry all of a sudden. I wondered if the creature’s stomach was rumbling as well.

When all seemed safe and the sensation of slowly drifting away into oblivion was so near at hand, the creature from the dark made its move, and suddenly attacked.

Loud high pitched noises hovered above my head from every angle possible. Its tiny wings were moving the air, like a little fan, just above my face and it felt fresh. Its little body caressed my ear and the sound seemed deafening. I was totally helpless against such an entity that prided itself of such advanced armaments.

I defended myself against a minute invisible foe using my upper limbs as huge rackets. It was a daring raid. Then, as quickly as it had started… it ended, so swift and yet so brief. The outcome was entirely unknown.

Silence enveloped the room one more time.

Was the creature preparing for another assault? Was it still hungry? Was I one drop less of my red essence? Was it going to alter its plan of attack?

The next morning, I opened my eyes slowly as the light from the window brought me back gradually into the land of the living.

I remembered the battle that had raged violently just a short while before. I wondered if I was the loser in the battle and if I had become its prey.

Turning my head on my pillow, I noticed a drop of blood that had been soaked into the material, and next to it was a little creature…a little body whose flying days were a thing of the past…

I sighed…I guess we both were losers in the dreadful battle that had taken place.

I had lost my drop of blood, the creature’s food, a drop of blood that I could have easily done without, and the creature had lost its life in an attempt to consume it…

Reality Check Sign

Reality check

OK, I understand that the last part of it was somewhat far-fetched, but I’m pretty sure that most of us have been through this ordeal.

What good is it using all the tips on falling asleep in my other article ‘Tips on a Good Sleep‘, when you’re woken up by a little bloodsucker, intent on ruining your night for you?

Actually, there is quite a bit more to it than just a bite, and the itching, which is rather VERY scary.

I’m sure you’re familiar with this, but I thought I’d just mention it again.

Mosquitoes don’t only attack us humans!

These monsters also attack your cats and dogs!

A mosquito’s bite can have some serious consequences, with a list of diseases as long as my arm. Some of the most common ones are:

Malaria

This, if left untreated, can be lethal. Its symptoms are fever, along with chills and flu-like illness. Just in 2015, nearly half a million people died from this, mostly children. If you think that this disease only attacks third world countries, then think again, as nearly 2,000 cases are diagnosed in the US each year alone.

Yellow Fever

Illness from Yellow Fever can either resolve itself on its own, with no long-term harmful effect on a person’s health, to severe liver disease with bleeding. based on symptoms.

In both these cases, it’s recommended to either getting vaccinated or to wear protective clothing. However, I can’t see anybody wearing protective clothing when going to bed, and I don’t think normal bed outfits are designed to keep these monsters off you.

An ideal solution to this problem is to use insect repellents.

Insect repellents can help reduce the risk of mosquito bites and avoid complications. This is great, and even greater is the fact that these are relatively cheap, and most are extremely effective.

There is literally a ton of different types of insect repellents, as follows:

While saying that these are all good in some way or another, some are most certainly better than others.

Take those that work with electricity, for example, the UV mosquito repellent, which incidentally is ideal for bedrooms and nurseries, and the Ultrasonic Pest Repellent ones, claimed to be good to repel mice, roaches, bugs, as well as spiders, apart from mosquitoes. Personally, I’ve never found an Ultrasonic which works, but perhaps I was just unlucky, or the mosquitoes in my house were deaf. On a plus, these types of units don’t use any chemicals, which is worth noting.

Imagine this scenario – A hot and sticky night and everybody has their aircon on, while the mosquitoes are kept at bay with these electric units. Then, BOOM!! The electricity supply goes off! The downfall with these electrical units is that once you have a power-out, they will end up being totally useless! So, they can be crossed off my list immediately, but if you have a standby generator, then please be my guest to go through them.

Mosquito Repellent Coils and Insect Foggers are all well and good. The downside to these is that they tend to choke me, so these are off my list too! In any case, these would normally be used outside, and my bed is indoors, so they aren’t much good to me.

Incense Sticks and Candles, especially the aromatic ones, are nice in themselves as they actually add a romantic aura to a room. However, as a general rule, I don’t like to leave an open fire on all night, especially while I’m asleep. Sadly, these too can be crossed off.

Mosquito Nets are good, especially where young children or babies are involved. Any form of repellent might prove to be a hazard to young people, and the best way to keep these kids safe is to keep the mosquitoes at bay, physically.

I’ve never purchased any Essential Oils to repel mosquitoes, but I have purchased Sprays, and in my books, these win hands-down every time.

Sprays are ideal as you apply the repellent on the exposed parts of your body, and the effect lasts for hours. It’s important not to spray directly in your face as this can irritate your eyes, even if this is made out of natural ingredients. Bear in mind that this liquid would be concentrated. Ideally, spray it on to your hands, then gently apply the liquid to your face afterward.

Handle with care

Consumers are strongly advised to follow the directions on the label of these insect repellents.

Children being children, they would only put their hands in their mouth, and even probably poke their eyes if they are allowed to apply the spray themselves. As a precaution, adults only should handle this type of product and apply it to children themselves, always after reading any health warnings on the label attached to the product.

Please note that Mosquito Repellents containing oil of lemon eucalyptus products should not be used on young children, namely under the age of three. Other ingredients can be used freely and without any age restriction.

Products containing DEET are approved to be used on children and don’t have any age restriction on them. Also, remember to store these products where children can’t reach them. This information was sourced from https://www.epa.gov/

To summarize, I was personally shocked to realize that a mosquito is the deadliest creature on Earth, but with this information to help guide you along, this creature will not get the chance to harm you, or your family, in any way, and that includes your pets.

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2 comments

It is amazing and scary how these little creatures can wreak such havoc! You are right, the annoyance of trying to sleep with one buzzing in your ear through the night totally disrupts a good nights rest.

Those of us living in Florida are very familiar with mosquitos, especially if you live inland near low lying water. I can recall nights when growing up, having to get out of bed and turn the lights on to hunt them down. Shaking everything from the bed covers to the curtains or chasing one in the air, smacking my hands together only to miss nearly every time.

I agree the sprays (containing DEET) seem to work best. Now that we know the potential consequences of how deadly they can be, it is even more important to arm ourselves to keep them at bay!

Hi, yes it is amazing and scary how these almost invisible creatures can cause such huge problems. Having one buzzing around your ears when trying to get to sleep isn’t the best of noises to hear. Apart from becoming anxious, if you don’t do anything about it, you’ll end up losing a drop of your precious red essence to these monsters, and risk catching something off them.

I used to do that too during the night, end up turning the lights on and do all that’s possible to hunt them down. It was quite a frustrating moment, and more so when you can’t find them, but only hear them again hovering over your head after a few moments of the lights going off again.

Mosquitoes can be really deadly, and the figures stated show that more than necessary actions are needed to keep them off you as much as possible.

Many thanks for your comment. I appreciate your taking the time to write it, and for dropping by.